commercial bank

American  

noun

1. a bank specializing in checking accounts and short-term loans.

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commercial bank British  

noun

1. a bank primarily engaged in making short-term loans from funds deposited in current accounts

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Etymology

Origin of commercial bank

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commercial bank

Notably, Affirm is moving to become an industrial loan company rather than a commercial bank.

From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026

The deal will make the Madrid-headquartered firm the tenth largest retail and commercial bank in the U.S. by assets, and the fifth largest by deposits in the Northeast.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 4, 2026

The group says on its website that it has a commercial bank called Prince Bank and that one of its real-estate arms is developing a 47-story tower in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025

The scheme is being funded by JLR itself, using credit provided by a commercial bank.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025

Primarily the savings bank creates wealth, while the commercial bank handles it; the savings banks are creative, while the commercial banks are administrative.

From Up To Date Business Home Study Circle Library Series (Volume II.) by Eaton, Seymour